A new competition, the AgRobotics Ontario Challenge, has been initiated to engage high school students in exploring innovative ways to utilize robots in agricultural settings. The focus of the challenge is to enhance farm worker safety, efficiency, and competitiveness through robotics technology.
Participating schools will receive a robotics kit from Studica to help them bring their ideas to fruition. The six selected schools will have the opportunity to create prototypes of their concepts, which will be showcased at the London Farm Show in March 2026. Additionally, each selected school will receive $500 to support the development of their designs.
Haggerty Robotics, headed by Chuck Baresich, is a company specializing in developing robotics tailored for agricultural applications. Among their products is a solar-powered vehicle capable of autonomously seeding and weeding fields without human intervention.
The competition is a collaboration between Haggerty Robotics and Innovation Farms Ontario, a network dedicated to researching and testing new agricultural technologies. Baresich emphasized the significance of merging technology with food production, noting the substantial global investments aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity.
The introduction of robotics in farming addresses critical needs such as crop harvesting and pest management. Baresich highlighted the autonomous functionality of these machines, which operate continuously without constant human supervision, potentially reallocating the workforce to other essential farm tasks.
While robotics are commonly utilized in controlled environments like greenhouses, their application in open-field farming, especially in crops such as apples and strawberries, presents ample opportunities for further development.
The competition guidelines encourage students to propose practical farm solutions, fostering creativity and innovation in addressing agricultural challenges. Bridget Mahon, agribusiness manager at Western Fair Association, expressed optimism that the contest would inspire students to apply their skills to real-world farm issues.
Submissions for the competition are due in late November, with the selection of the six finalist schools scheduled for early December. More details about the contest and the submission process can be found on the official competition website.